Processing xml file

Question

I have the following xml file:

    row category="1" category_name="CatA" entry_id="1" entry_name="A1" 
    row category="1" category_name="CatA" entry_id="2" entry_name="A2" 
    row category="1" category_name="CatA" entry_id="3" entry_name="A3" 
    row category="2" category_name="CatB" entry_id="4" entry_name="B1" 
    row category="2" category_name="CatB" entry_id="5" entry_name="B2" 
    row category="2" category_name="CatB" entry_id="6" entry_name="B3" 
    row category="3" category_name="CatC" entry_id="7" entry_name="C1" 
    row category="4" category_name="CatD" entry_id="8" entry_name="D1"

and I want to produce below html:

CatA
----A1
----A2
----A3
CatB
----B1
----B2
----B3
CatC
----C1
CatD
----D1

for this I am using below php xml parser:

 

$ndeshjet=simplexml_load_file("xml_file.xml");

$new_category = 1;

foreach ($ndeshjet->row as $entry) {

      $category = $entry['category'];
        if ($category  <> $new_category){
             $category_name = $entry['category_name'];
             echo $category_name."</br>";   
             $new_category = $category;
        } else {
             $entry_name  = $entry['entry_name'];
             echo "----".$entry_name."</br>";       
        }
}


?>


but the result is :

----A1
----A2
----A3
CatB
CatB
CatB
CatC
CatD

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

As an alternative, you could gather all the values first inside an array and make the category name as key pushing same keys inside. After thats done and gathered, print them accordingly:

$categories = array();
// gather inside container
foreach ($ndeshjet->row as $entry) {
    $category_name = (string) $entry->attributes()->category_name;
    $entry_name = (string) $entry->attributes()->entry_name;
    $categories[$category_name][] = $entry_name;
}

// presentation
foreach($categories as $category_name => $entries) {
    echo $category_name . '<br/>';
    foreach($entries as $entry) {
        echo '----' . $entry . '<br/>';
    }
}

Sample Output